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Hiring can be stressful. You may not be the one in the hot seat going on interview after interview, but there is just as much pressure that hiring authorities feel as the candidates they are interviewing.

We get it. Your company needs you to make the right decision in order for it to grow and continue to succeed. Your workers need you to make the right decision in order for them to be satisfied and happy in their work environment. If you make the wrong decision when it comes to hiring, it can affect many. A company is like a well-oiled machine. All parts need to be working properly, and each failure can have lasting effects.

We’re here to help. Over the years, we’ve learned some of the most important things to take into consideration when going through the hiring process.

Consider your current team. Your people should always be a priority for you, and the hiring process is no different. They should be just as much a part of it as you are. Obviously, you want to make everyone happy, and while that is not always possible, be sure to take into consideration the company atmosphere and work ethic. If you are at all questioning whether or not a candidate will fit in, address that concern. If there are certain people that the candidate will be working with on a daily basis, make sure they get a chance to meet the candidate as well. It’s important that your current team feels like you thought of them through the process.

Hire the most talented and accomplished person, not the best resume. It can be easy to judge a book by its cover, or, in this case, a candidate by their resume. Try not to get caught up in the details. When interviewing, ask about past accomplishments and achievements. Talk with the candidate about those experiences, learn about how they used their skills in real-life situations. A resume speaks volumes, but not as much as the candidate that it represents. The best people to hire are not necessarily the brilliant ones, but the ones who can get the work done well and have a proven track record of doing so.

Follow a process. You create a job posting, advertise it, and the resumes start to flood in. It can get overwhelming trying to sift through all the potential candidates. This is where a third-party recruiting firm can come in to simplify the process for you. By letting a recruiter market the job and seek out qualified candidates, much of the pressure is taken off of your shoulders. Recruiters also have a wide network and they can find you rockstar candidates that may not necessarily be scouring job sites because, well, they have a job. This means they are good at what they do and would probably be a great person to have on your team. By following a process laid out by an experienced recruiter, the entire experience will be easier, organized, and stress-free.

Do you have any tried and true methods that you’ve followed in a successful hiring process? We’d love to know! Tweet us at @RigsbySearch.

Thank you notes may seem like a silly formality of the past, something that Mom forced you to do as a kid following birthdays and holidays. But, per usual, Mom was right. That tedious task of handwriting note after note is a vital mannerism in the professional world today, and job interviews are no exception.

Still, most candidates do not send a thank you note, which makes the ones that do really stand out. Not only is the practice of sending a thank you note a professional courtesy, but it also serves to remind the hiring authority of your name, which can be especially helpful when some time has passed or when many candidates are interviewing. The hiring authority has a lot on his or her mind, and your thank you note will serve as a kind reminder that behind the position titles and job descriptions are people, one in the same.

So, the next time you return home from a job interview, take a few minutes to sit down and draft a thank you note. The sooner, the better, which leads us to our first piece of advice.

Timing is everything

Write and mail your note within the first 24 hours. Not only will your punctual timing impress the hiring authority, but the things discussed in your interview will be fresh in your mind.

Don’t leave anyone out

If you interviewed with more than one person, make sure to send an individual thank you note to each one of them, and don’t forget to double check their name!

Send a letter even if you didn’t get the job

If you somehow already know you did not land the job in the immediately hours after your interview, send a thank you note out anyway. You never know what connections might be made.

Proofread

This goes without saying. Any spelling or grammar mistakes would just be embarrassing and could do more harm than good.

Say thank you twice

Along with your handwritten thank you note, it is important to also send an email Immediately following the interview.

What to include

Use this opportunity to highlight anything that you wish you had said in the interview. If you forgot to mention a certain experience related to the job, now is the time to include it. It is also important to reemphasize any skills and qualities that the employer liked about you and that would be vital to the position.

Keep it short and sweet

Everyone is busy, so you’re better off not writing a multiple page thank you letter to your prospective employer. There is no need to encompass your whole meeting in the thank you note. Keep it simple: kind, gracious and to the point. A good way to close is to reiterate your interest.

Include your contact information

Put your phone number and email address right there underneath your name. You don’t want a hiring authority to have to jump through hoops to try to get in touch with you.

Congratulations! You did it! They liked your resume so much that you landed an interview. We call this passing the first test, so give yourself a pat on the back and take a deep breath. The next step, the actual interview, can seem daunting at first, but with the proper preparation and mindset, you can conquer it. It all starts with a little bit of believing.

It’s important to go into your interview exuding a quiet confidence. Through the right preparation, you can achieve a calm mindset that will leave your competition envious. Here’s where to start.

Do your homework. A day or two before your scheduled interview, grab your laptop, a notebook, and a coffee, and find a quiet place to study up on the company with which you are interviewing. Check out their website, social media pages, latest news and blogs. By getting to know the history and culture of the company, you will be better able to address certain questions. If you know the particular person with whom you will be interviewing, research their role within the company as well. Maybe you’ll come across something in your research that you can be prepared to bond over if it comes up in conversation.

Know the position. You should walk into that interview with a pretty good idea of what the position you are interviewing for entails. Take some time during your study session to craft some answers about why you are a good fit for that particular job and make sure you have some examples from past experience to offer. When asked about your previous positions, stay away from talking about the responsibilities that the job entailed and instead bring up some of your personal accomplishments that you achieved during your time in that position.

Rest. If your interview is in the morning, prepare the night before to avoid being rushed in the AM. Gas up the car, know what you’ll wear, prep a healthy breakfast and put all your materials in one place ready to grab and go. Then, hit the hay early so you can wake up refreshed and ready. There is nothing worse than being rushed on the morning of and walking into the interview still trying to catch your breath.

Ask questions. Your interview should be a two-way street, not an interrogation. You will be expected to know your value, your skills and how you can help the team, but also be careful not to focus solely on yourself during the interview. Make sure to ask questions that concern the betterment of the company. “How does the team interact with the rest of the company?” or “What is the most important quality you are looking for in a candidate?” These questions will ensure the hiring authority that you can be a team player and you will come into work each day with an aim to help more than just yourself.

Get out of your head. Recognize any negative mindset that might be hindering your confidence, and part ways. You are only as good as you allow yourself to be. So walk into that room with a smile on and a positive mindset. You’re going to do great.

If you ever have any further interview concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact us here at Rigsby Search Group. We coach our candidates on interviews every day, and would be more than happy to have a conversation with you.